Golf club



8 1939- v A..A. SIMONTON 2,171,483

GOLF CLUB Filed Feb. 7, 1936 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates-togolfxclubs of the several types having. a wooden head, and involves an end grain club head wherein the grain of the woo-d runssubstantially at right angles to the striking face, and parallel to the direction of .stroke.

To those familiar with wood texture, it will be understood that the end grain provides a more resilientand durable surface than in the conventional head construction, wherein the grain extends in a lengthwise direction transversely of the striking face, and, produces greater driving force and flight distance for the ball. At the time of contact of the head with the ball the club has an entirely different feelin the hands of the player.

A club as proposed involves serious problems of design because the head is much more susceptible to splitting and cracking uponv impact with the ball or accidental contact with the I groundthan in the case of conventional wooden clubs wherein the grain runsparallel to the striking face. While reinforcement may be resorted to to overcome this danger, care must be taken so that strengthening means embodied in the head shall not eliminate or seriously impair the effective resiliency of. the wood which constitutes one of the main advantages of an end grain head.

In the proposed construction the endgrain head is adequately strengthened both horizontally and in the axial area of the shaft without in any way impairing the effective resiliency of the wood. Besides strengthening the head the proposed construction is such that the inherent resiliency of the wood is employed to advantage incidental to the connection between the club head and the shaft so that the impact with the ball is for the most part absorbed in the head and the whip of the shaft is transmitted smoothly into the club without vibration or strain.

As indicated, the resiliency of the wood is maintained substantially unencumbered, and this point will explain the simplicity of the proposed design and the absence of more than a minimum of metallic parts.

The invention may be best understood by reference to the illustrative embodiment now to be described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a club according to the invention with the upper portion of the shaft broken away;

.the neck ll.

Fig. .2 is a view in sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View corresponding to Fig.

l; and

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in section, showing the 5 details of certain parts.

The wooden club head of the invention will in general shape and proportions correspond to conventional designs. The main head portion [0, together with the neck II, will be formed of 10 any integral block of wood whose grain will run substantially perpendicular to the direction of stroke, which is to say, about at right angles to the striking face 12, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 3. Extending upwardly through the main head portion and axially through the'neck is a bore I3 adapted to receive the shaft It. It will be understood by reference to Fig. 3 that the shaft extends substantially at right angles to the direction of the wood grain. Thus, the force of impact of the head against a ball will to a large extent be absorbed within the head without being transmitted up through the shaft to the hands of the player.

Because of the direction of the Wood grain, it

- is inadvisable to attempt to wedge the shaft into the head or provide pins transversely of the shaft anchored in the wood of either the head or the neck. The peculiar form of connection here illustrated is particularly designed to prevent splitting of the wood and at the same time take advantage of the resiliency of the wood in obtaining the best effect in hitting the ball.

As will be noted from Fig. 2, the shaft M has no rigid connection. with the club between the upper end 15 of the neck H and the underside of the head l0. Secured rigidly to the shaft is an abutment member taking the form of a cone l6, of brassor other material, and which may be welded or otherwise secured to the shaft. The under face 11 of the abutment member makes end contact with the fiat upper end extremity l5 of In the lower end of the shaft is a bushing IS in which is fitted a screw l9 which serves to engage the under portion of the wooden head to urge the same axially of the shaft against the conical abutment member. As will be noted from Fig. 2, the underside of the club head may be counterbored a sufficient distance to allow the head of screw 19 to be countersunk above the under face of the club. For greater strength a washer 20 may be provided on the screw i9 engageable with the wood at the bottom of the counterbore 2|.

It will be evident that the screw 19 and washer 55 20 in cooperation with the conical member I6 function as clamping members which act axially of the shaft, and more or less crosswise to the direction of the wood grain. Such members have the dual function of producing more or less compression throughout the entire height of the head between the underside of the head and the upper end of the neck to overcome any tendency of the wood to split when the club is used, and at the same time providing a securing connection between the shaft and the head.

As previously noted the conical abutment member I6 is rigid with the shaft. In order to prevent accidental rotation of the head relative to the shaft without effecting undue compression in the head such as might in part impair the resiliency of the wood, the under end of the conical member may be provided with locking means which will positively engage the upper end I5 of the neck. Such means may conveniently comprise a series of small pins 22 secured in the member I6 to extend axially of the shaft which will engage small pockets or recesses drilled in the upper end of the neck. Because of the compression exerted by the screw I9 the pins 22 will be positively held in the neck to secure the head against rotation, and this without any danger of splitting the wood.

Because the securing connection between the shaft and the head as just described acts entirely in a direction axially of the shaft, and because the washer 20 and the conical member I6 act through a substantial thickness of wood as represented by the distance between the upper end of the neck and the underside of the head proper, the force of the shaft imparted by the player in his swing will be transmitted smoothly and without vibration or strain into the head. Because of the compressive effect in the wood axially of the shaft, there will be no danger of breakage either in the neck or head proper at the time of impact of the striking face I2 with the ball.

Besides strengthening the end grain head of the present invention in the area of the shaft, means are also provided to reinforce the head throughout its horizontal length. Rather than employ any backing plate or other device which would more or less nullify the natural resiliency of the Wood, I provide reinforcing means utilizing substantially the same principle as in the connection between the head and the shaft.

The strengthening means referred to will preferably comprise a metal rod 23, best shown in Fig. 4, which will be fitted into a bore provided lengthwise of the head, substantially crosswise of the wood grain and more or less parallel to the striking face I2. The rod 23, as will be noted from a comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 with Fig. 3, will be positioned substantially centrally of the head and will extend for a full distance between the rear end of the head below the neck .and the toe extremity. At one end of the bore in the head is provided a brass tap 24 in which the corresponding end of the rod 23 is fitted. At the other end of the bore is inset a cup-shaped brass plate 25 adapted to receive a fillister screw 26. The screw 26 will engage the threaded end of the rod 25 and by tightening will exert a clamping action productive of a measure of compression in the wood of the headin a horizontal direction crosswise of the grain. The amount of compression will, of course, be determined by the adjustment of the screw 26, and sufficient force should be provided to avoid any tendency of the wood to split under impact with the ball.

It will be evident that because of the size and construction of the longitudinal reinforcing means just described the effective resiliency of the Wood will not be impaired and its advantages realized in impact with the ball. It should be further pointed out that, as will be seen from Fig. 3, the longitudinal reinforcement is entirely independent of the shaft I4 and the means for securing the head thereto. Such arrangement better insures absorption of the force of impact with the ball by the wood of the head without transmittal up through the shaft. The horizontal compression longitudinally of the head and the compression of the wood axially of the upwardly extending shaft are in entirely different directions, and should be independent of each other for this reason, although both act crosswise of the grain to prevent splitting of the wood in their respective portions of the club.

As in conventional clubs a sole plate 21 may be secured to the under face of the head. In such event no connection should be made between the plate and the operative parts heretofore described. That is to say, all different metal parts should be insulated from each other by the medium of the wood of the head which, because of its inherent resiliency, provides a cushioning effect between the metal parts.

As previously noted the conical member I6 on the shaft makes a butt connection with the upper end of the neck I I. The Wood of the neck should not be encumbered by any surrounding metal reinforcing band, but if desired such area together with the adjoining surface of the metal cone may be wrapped with string which will, of course, give additional strength without transmitting vibration from the head to the shaft or impair the effective resiliency of the wood.

An end grain club head constructed as described has all necessary reinforcements to prevent splitting and at the same time obtains all the benefits which may practically be obtained from having the grain run perpendicularly to the striking face. The position, direction and. action of the reinforcing and shaft-securing elements are all designed with reference to the direction in which the head Ofbthe grain runs, and the number and size of metallic parts is practically negligible. It may be further stated that While it is not beyond the scope of my invention to provide a special striking face member over or inset in the wood surface I2, the best results will be obtained by using the end grain itself as the striking surface.

It will be evident to those skilled in the artthat despite the simplicity of the embodiment of the invention here described, the same is capable of considerable variation and equivalency, and the scope of my invention is to be determined from the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A golf club embodying a head proper and a neck portion formed of an integral wooden body whose grain runs substantially at right angles to the striking face of the head, a shaft extending upwardly through a bore in the head proper and neck portion at substantially right angles to the wood grain, an abutment rigid with the shaft having a substantially fiat end portion extending from the bore to the outer edge thereof engaging the upper extremity of the. neck portion, and means connecting with the lower end of the shaft and engageable with the under portion of the head to clamp the head axially of the shaft.

2. A golf club embodying a head proper and aneck portion formed of an integral wooden body whose grain runs substantially at right angles to the striking face of the head, a shaft extending upwardly through a bore in the head proper and neck portion at substantially right angles to the wood grain, an abutment rigid with the shaft engaging the upper extremity of the neck portion, pins extending axially of the shaft carried by the abutment and protruding into the neck portion, and means connecting with the lower end of the shaft and engageable with the under ortion' of the head to clamp the head axially of the shaft.

3. A golf club embodying a head proper and a neck portion formed of an integral wooden body whose grain runs substantially at right angles to the striking face of the head, said neck portion terminating in a flat upper end face, a shaft extending upwardly through a bore in the head proper and neck portion at substantially right angles to the wood grain, a cone rigid with the shaft having a lower end face in abutting relation with the upper end of the neck portion, and means connecting with the lower end of the shaft for compressing the head towards the cone and effecting a securing connection between the head and shaft.

4. A golf club embodying a head proper and a neck portion formed of an integral wooden body whose grain runs substantially at right angles to the striking face of the head, a shaft extending upwardly through a bore in the head and neck portion at substantially right angles to the wood grain, an abutment on the shaft engageable with the upper end of the neck portion, clamping means connecting with the lower end of the shaft and engageable with the under portion of the head coactive with the abutment means to compress the wood of the head axially of the shaft and secure the head to the shaft, a reinforcing rod extending lengthwise through the head and free of connection with the shaft, and clamping means secured to the opposite ends of the 30d adapted to apply compression to the head crosswise to the wood grain.

5. In a golf club, a wooden club head having an integral neck portion, said neck portion having a flat broad upper end face, a bore extending through the neck portion into the head, a shaft extending through the bore, a conical abutment member fixed to the shaft having a flat lower face engaging the upper end face of the neck portion, and a clamping member engaging the head adjustably secured to the lower end of the shaft and compressing the head and neck portion in a direction axially of the shaft against the abutment member.

6. In a golf club, a wooden club head having an integral neck portion, said neck portion having a broad upper end face, a bore extending through the neck portion into the head, a shaft extending through the bore, an abutment member fixed to the shaft, a lower end face on the abutment member engaging the upper end face of the neck portion, locking elements projecting from the lower end face of the abutment member and projecting into the end of the neck portion, and a clamping member engaging the under-portion of the head adjustably secured to the lower end of the shaft and compressing the head and neck portion in a direction axially of the shaft against the abutment member.

ALBERT A. SIMONTON. 

